Commutation-book



H. B. TITCOMB.

COMMUTATION BOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JuNE 9. 1919.

l 370,244. Patented Mar. 1, 1921. F/fqgj 4 H5 21|22|2a1z4125|2612712a|29|30131 y |Q| 3 |4 n3 JANUARYISSUE f )FEBRUARY\ 1922/ Irwenor Mw 1 M www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY BURGESS TITCOMB, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

COMMUTATION-BOOK.

T 0 ZZ whom it may cofnccrili.'

Be it known that I, Hann-IY BURGEss TIT- CoMn, a citizen of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Commutation-Book, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tickets provided by transportation companies or corporations for accommodating the regular or daily passengers with a reduced fare, and the invention may be said to consist in the provision of the new and novel features, combination and arrangement of parts such as will enable conductors to sell the reduced rate tickets to the passengers at any time or on any day of a series of years, and to identify the sold tickets with a single punch mark indicating a predetermined day when each ticket will expire.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a commutation book that contains twenty tickets in all, good for ten round trips; with the time limit for the use of one or all of the tickets indicated with a single punch mark.

Another object of the invention is to provide a commutation book containing twenty tickets in all, good for twenty consecutive single trips, and means whereby a punch through the'book on any date on the first ticket will punch consecutive dates in all the other tickets, so that both the passenger and the conductor will positively lknow the eX- piring date of each ticket.

Other objects. advantages and features of the invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined `detailed description and the appended claims.

The drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a commutation book embodying the features of this invention; two of the tickets being turned down at one corner to disclose another ticket; and the book enlarged to nearly twice its actual size.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a fragmentary bottom portion of four round trip tickets from the book shown in Fig. 1. the round. trip tickets being the second, third, fourth and fifth in order, showing the changed position of the days of the month relative to the punch mark through the commutation book.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a commutation book of actual size showing a slight modification of the legend.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 9, 1919.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

serial No. 302,962.

F ig. et is an edge elevation of the commutation book showing its general appearance and structure.

In detail the commutation book 1 contains twenty tickets that have one end of each secured together by any well known means; by which fastening a book is formed having a ticket end 2 and a stub end 3 which parts are separated by the perforations 4:.

The ticket end of the book has the face or top side of each ticket divided into a plurality of squares and rectangles that are uniformly positioned.

At the extreme right end of the tickets there are tho rectangles 5 that contain the yearly figures from 1919 to 1925 respectively. i

At the top and the bottom ofthe ticket are the rectangles G and 7 in which is printed the monthly issue of the tickets; and that shown in the drawing is the first or January issue; the other months to follow consecutively, and often two months appearing in each ticket as seen in the tickets of Fig. 2.

Just below the rectangle 6 and above the rectangle 7 are the squares 8 in which are placed the numerals indicating the days of the month; and these numerals, beginning with the January issue, are placed .in the squares 8 and read from right to left in the upper squares; and in the reverse direction in the lower squares.

In other words, there are sixteen squares in the upper part of the ticket; so that the squares are filled with the numerals from 1 to 1G; and in the lower part of the tickets there is an equal number of squares 8 and beginning at the lower left hand corner, the squares 8 are filled with the remaining days of the month or with the numerals from 17 to 31, which leaves at the lower right hand side of the ticket the blank square 9; and this square can be filled with any symbol indicating non-use. Within the center of the ticket there is a large rectangle l() in which can be placed the name of the company or corporation and the printed forni embodying the conditions under which the ticket is sold, and the number of the form and also the signature of the head official of the company can be incorporated in this legend.

If desired, a small rectangle l1 can be formed in the lower left hand corner of the rectangle 1() in which can be placed identifying numerals, letters or signatures.

The order in which the numerals from 1 pied by trance of February 1 into the second round trip ticket.

This displaces the numeral 17 from the lower squares 8 and it is moved to the upper left hand square 8; and in these upper squares, 1 is eliminated and the other numer als from 1G to 2 are moved one square toward the right.

The next round trip ticket in order has another day eliminated from January and one day added to February; the January days disappearing from the upper right hand corner of the ticket as the February days areadded at the lower one. As seen in Fig. 2, four of the February dates are represented in the four round trip tickets. consequently, a corresponding number of days of the first of January are eliminated' from the top row; as always there are 3l days on the ticket.

In order that the tickets can form a round trip for each consecutive day there are two tickets that are identical as to the position of the dates in the squares 8.

From the foregoing it can be readily seen that with each single trip ticket having the dates advanced one day, a punch, mark through any of the squares 8 will punch ten consecutive days. In other words if the book shown in Fig. 1 was punched in the square containing the date of January 29, the succeeding tickets below the top round trip ticket will be punched in the order of January 30, and 31 and February l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, on which date the commutation ticket expires.

Also the first ticket of this'book has auditors check printed over the legend; and this ticket is detached and retained by the' conductor when the book of tickets is sold and punched; and this detached ticket becomes an auditors check showing the date on which the book was issued; and the punch on the passengers ticket shows the date on which the book expires.

The advantage of using this auditors eheck ticket as compared with other tickets :now in use., is, that it gives conductors the correct date for expiration of the time limit on the passengers ticket.

The purpose of this form is to enable the passenger to get the reduced ratel for himself and his family and also to enable him or anvone of his family to use the ticket on the date punched in the ticket; and in the foregoin features the invention is broadly new i and asic in principle.

This commutation ticket is of great value and convenience to the traveling public as it can easily be purchased on the train and thereby eliminates the necessity of the passengers seeking a station at which to make his purchase.

Also, it will enable both the passenger and the conductor to know positively and without question the exact date on which the ticket expires and becomes void; thereby eliminating contentions and disagreeable argument between passengers and conductors and altogether establishing a more congenial and friendly feeling between the transportation companies and the traveling public.

The book shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is about the actual size and shows the preferred form of the legend; in all other respects, however, it is substantially the same as the book shown!` in Figs. 1 and 2.

This book is shown with the punch mark on the 26th of January so that the first round trip of the ten consecutive round trips will expire on that date; and each succeeding day from that date to the fourth of February, one of the round trips will become void, and as previously stated, by the arrangement .of the dates the one punch mark through the book on any of the date numerals indicates a consecutive order of ten succeeding days.

'For .further illustration, if the punch mark is through the book on the date of January 1 the first round trip or two tickets will be punched with ythat date, and the second round trip or "two tickets will be punched with the date of January 2 and so on up to the tenth day.

This punch marking of dates is well illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 taken together in which the punch mark is through the first round tri ticket on the date of January 29 shown 1n Fig. 1 and the succeeding round trip tickets from 2 to 5 are shown punched through succeeding dates, that is, January 30 and 31 and February 1 and 2.

In all the foregoing described features this invention is pioneer in the art and an indispensable necessity, and in addition to its beneficial features to public travel, it is indispensable to the passengers convenience and comfort.

I claim:

1. A commutation ticket, comprising a front Vsheet provided with numerals in spaces to indicate the days of the months, and adapted to be punched to indicate a specific date; said numerals being arranged in a definite order; and one or more succeeding leaves having like numerais'in similar spaces arranged in such order, and so combined with the first mentioned leaf, that when said first leaf and the succeedinfr leaves are punched together at a definite date on the first leaf, the punch mark in the succeeding leaves will be at predetermined dates different, but not later than a month, from that punched on the first leaf.

2. A commutation book comprising a plurality of tickets, numerals on said tickets indicating the days of the month, and means whereby a punch mark made through said book on any date of the first ticket will establish the expiring dates of the other tickets in successive order from the expiring date on the first ticket.

3. A commutation book comprising a plurality of tickets bound together, numerals on said tickets indicating the days of the month, and means whereby when the first ticket and the succeeding tickets of said book are punched together on a .definite date on the first ticket the punch mark in the succeeding tickets will be at predetermined dates different, but not later than a month, from that punched in the first ticket.

4. A commutation book comprising a plurality of tickets bound together, numerals on said tickets indicating the days of the month, and means whereby when the first ticket and the succeeding tickets of said book are punched together on a denite date on the first ticket the punch mark on the succeeding tickets will be at predetermined dates arranged in a succeeding order.

5. A commutation book comprising a plurality of tickets bound together, numerals on said tickets indicating a plurality of succeeding days and means whereby a punch mark through said book on any date of the first ticket establishes the expiring dates of the other tickets in successive order from the expiring date on the first ticket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 31st day of May, 1919.

HARVEY BURGESS TITCOMB.

Witnesses:

B. M. DONALD, W. M. GENTLE. 

